For awhile now we’ve been hearing rumors that the next-generation iPhone will have a smaller dock connector, which would be smaller than the current 30-pin dock connector Apple has been using on it’s iPods, iPads and iPhones for years now. This change is being spurred by the desire to decrees the thickness of the device, and thus, the existing dock connector is one of limiting factors that needs to be changed in order to do so.

Rumors continue to bubble, and purported photos of the casing for the next-generation iPhone show a smaller opening for a new dock connector. This case, of course, is also thinner than the current iPhone 4/4S body style.

TechCrunch is now reporting on what they’ve heard regarding the new dock connector, especially the fact that it will include just 19 pins. That’s down from the 30-pin connector we’ve all come to know over the years.

Robert Scoble later added to the TechCrunch post in the comments section, claiming that the new dock connector will function much like Apple’s MagSafe power connectors on their MacBook computer lines. This new dock connector will also have chips embedded in them to verify licensing of accessories that can be used with the new device.

Mobile Fun also posted renderings from a case manufacture showing off the new design. At least this manufacturer believes the leaked specs are true, and are as follows:

–The phone is much bigger, measuring 58.47 mm wide, 123.83 mm high and 7.6 mm thin. The screen is 4″.

–The earphone jack has been relocated to the bottom of the phone.

–The dock connector is much smaller, similar in size to micro USB.

It’s worth remembering, that this time last year, the rumor mill was reaching a fever pitch, and many purported cases for the redesigned “iPhone 5” were making the rounds. The new design being shown off at the time, featured a curved backing for the new iPhone. Of course, none of this ever came to fruition and the new iPhone, which came to be known as the iPhone 4S, featured the same body design as the existing iPhone 4. So, as of right now, take these rumors for what they are– rumors.